The Shrouding of Balder
by Nitrogen Triiodide
Summary: A curse has befallen Balder's Eye and the survivors must find their way in the descending darkness.
1. Chapter 1

_Update 1-17-2014: While none of the first chapter has been altered I do wish to make a note for new or returning readers. This story was written primarily with the Tera playerbase in mind, even so many of the regions, races, and events mentioned will not be familiar to everyone. The next entry is composed entirely of a very basic reference that those not versed in Tera lore may find useful._

xxxxxxx

Cold.

The lands north of Kaiator's dark steel could easily be described in that single word. A journey beginning at Zulfikar's gates would take one through valleys ravaged by mechanical occupation, looming hulks of the Argon war machine still littering the landscape. Further beyond were the plains that had once supported the churning heart of that blue menace, though in the years since the death of the Queen it had fallen into nature's grasp once more.

Nature remembered the land no more kindly than any of the war's survivors. Where once had been an invasion there was now only tundra; bleak, desolate...

And very, very cold.

In that frigid wasteland six figures trudged steadily north, their cloaked forms bent against the stinging wind. For the most part their eyes were fixed at the ground right in front of them, shoulders hunched and heads down to ward off as much of the biting chill as they could. A man at the front, however, kept his gaze high and forward. Something was out there, a fluttering haze of green that occasionally cut through the eternal white, a teasing promise of power, fame, or riches. Perhaps today would be more than a regular patrol.

"Noctenium?" One figure at the rear shouted above the wail of the tundra, his pale human features coming into view for a brief moment as a gust of the eternal winds tugged at his hood.

"This far north? Unusual, but it could be," a female Amani beside him affirmed.

"If you have a better idea of what that is," the man at the front cut in, jabbing a finger towards the green light before them, "I would love to hear it."

"We aren't exactly equipped to haul any of it back, you sure its a good idea to try and lay claim ourselves? We report its location to the Order and we'll still get a cut!"

"A cut isn't enou-" the lead man crested a small rise, his scarred features snapping from an eager grin to confusion under the eerie green glow that lighted his face. What had met his eyes was not the expected fragmented clumps of crystalline Noctenium scattered about the ground but rather something much larger. A single enormous smooth faced slab jutted upwards out of the ground only a stones throw from where he now stood. The piece was large enough that an Amani would have struggled to encircle it with their arms and it towered high above any of the explorers now crossing the rise, gawking all the way. The detail that most readily caught the eye though was in its center, the vague outline of a small humanoid form curled up within the core of the slab.

"Tha hell?"

"What...is that an Elin?"

The crystal pulsed almost imperceptibly, tiny traces of energy filtering across its emerald shaded face.

"Right size, but I'm not sure I see any ears, a child?"

"A child out here? And why would it be in-"

xxxxxxx

Far to the south the village of Tria lay slumbering within its native jungles. It was a hushed place, the population still reeled from the infestation and plagues that had scorched the land in years prior. Traces of the blight continued to contaminate the jungle even if the last mortal victim had died long before, ensuring that any progress made to revive the land was painstakingly slow. On that particular day a dank fog clung to the ground, though it was not quite dense enough to shroud the nearly clear skies far above.

"Test forty-nine B," a masculine voice whispered softly from within the dark confines of an old home on Tria's north edge, "Delayed reaction Noctenium sample infused into the last known effective vaccine," a few fingers reached forward into the feeble candlelight that illuminated an old and worn oak table, carefully drawing a metal prong across the wilted leaf of a small bush laid there, "Flora subject. Medicine will be administered and thirty seconds after injection a mana surge will follow to trigger the Noctenium," following the hands into the light came the face of a Castanic man, his pale features canting to one side before he added, "Gods be with me."

The fingers withdrew, settling upon and wrapping about a nearby syringe before they lifted it to the soggy stalk. A brief press of the plunger later and a faint glow spread throughout the stem, the cure lacing its way into the veins of the plant.

"One, two, three..."

_You're distracting._

_Will you please cease your inane blabbering?_

_I know what the procedure is, is it quite necessary for you to go repeating it? Again?_

_I do not wish to be paired with that man._

Genius was never understood in its time.

Just outside a voice of an entirely different disposition sounded in utter spite.

"What the hell does she know anyway," clenched teeth hissed out the words as a rasp of unsheathed steel filled the air. A human woman stomped her way through the hard packed dirt of an outdoor training ring, greatsword locking into a ready position at her side. Her features twisted into a vicious snarl as she squared off against a wooden dummy several meters away, right leg cocking back in preparation to strike.

"Not a damn thing, that's what..."

Pale blue eyes drilled into the manikin, imposing the features of another onto it. Bob cut blond hair, long pointed elven ears, over inflated breasts, a perpetual half-sneer about her narrow, upturned nose.

_We regret to inform you that the Union has no need of your services..._

xxxxxxx

"hmmnnn."

The girl looked down, feet flicking this way and that in playful splashes. The white ground was cold, but the red water was nice and warm. That was one problem solved, but there were still others. It was boring here, the six big things had ceased to be interesting almost immediately, as such she now had little intention to linger.

That and it was cold! Cold, cold, cold! Her little arms wrapped around her form as she spun on the spot, red splashing about as she looked around. More white, white in every direction, what a hassle! She would just have to find someplace else-

For a moment the white became blinding, its image searing into her eyes as the girl stopped in her dance to shield her face. Well that hurt! What had done that? As abruptly as it had come the blinding light receded, allowing her a look around. Within moments her gaze was drawn upwards, spotting the source.

Ah, there it was, a big shiny thing was looking at her through the clouds. It was bright and made everything else bright, bothersome.

She knew just what to do about that.

The ground trembled faintly, falling snow halting in the air as the endless wail of the tundra suddenly ceased save for one small voice.

"mmmmMMM no! Go AWAY!"

xxxxxxx

"Smug-"

The greatsword lashed out in a swing at the training dummy, and though the human was still meters away a shadow of the blade spun out to smite into the manikin.

"-top heavy-"

A second swing and a second shadow, this one slicing cleanly through the tender wood of the target. Splinters shattered into the air to the sound of a single great snap.

"-BITCH!"

The sword made a third swing, mana lacing its edge as a third and final blow was prepared. A high pitched whine shook the air, but as the arc reached its apex no shadow was cast forward. Instead both blade and wielder clattered to the ground, the latter gasping and gagging as she clutched her midriff.

Barely a heartbeat later a wave of agony overcame her. Her form twitched and arched as a faint blue smoke lifted from every inch of exposed skin. Somewhere in the dim of her pained mind logic recognized the sensation. She knew it, knew the feeling of magic energy leaving her body, but for it to occur of a will other than her own sent a second wave of revulsion wracking her frame. Teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut to fight the surge, a guttural growl following as the woman rolled onto her back and forced her eyes to open. As her dark hair fell to the side she was greeted with the familiar sight of Balder's Eye, shining as it ever did through the wisps of cloud and the fog hanging over the jungle.

Her eyes grew wider as for a moment the rune-shrouded light shuddered, then dimmed. A ring of symbols appeared about its circumference before the top and bottom portions split, working their ways respectively down and upwards from their places at the edges of the eye.

Where one moment the Eye of Balder shone brightly now there was only twilight as two lids sealed it shut, the whole of Arborea plunging into darkness.

xxxxxxx

"There, much better!" The girl settled back to admire her handiwork. The big bright thing was nice and glowy now, one could look straight at it without even so much as squinting. That didn't even speak of the colors that now surrounded it, brilliant pinks and deep golden oranges adorned the clouds that drew near, a pleasant display compared to the blinding light from moments ago, "Much, much better!"

One more problem that she had now solved! Unfortunately, in the time spent remedying the issue of brightness, the original trouble of the cold feet had come back. The red water wasn't warm anymore; in fact it was downright frigid! The edges were getting hard, hard like the white ground, so she stepped out of the pool and started to walk. She could sense something hot and toasty to the south, a big warm mass that would make sure she was never cold again. Now to just go and find it!

xxxxxxx

A hand gripped the edge of the table before him as the Castanic male bent, his form trembling as a wave of nausea drew a gag from his gaunt frame. Beads of sweat almost immediately began their descent down his flushed skin, but there was precious little time for him to entertain the moment of weakness. Even as a bit of bile flew from his parted lips the sorcerer's disk that lay on the table nearby was reacting to the same power that had overtaken him.

The circle of exotic metal twirled, buzzed, and spun erratically, heedless of his call for it to settle. A finger of lighting lanced out from one edge, drawing a short 'eep!' from the man as he immediately ducked beneath the table.

Not a moment too soon. The disk sliced through the cloud of blue mist that had seeped out of his form moments ago, snarling angrily at him as it passed. As it struck the wooden floor the circle barely slowed, cutting a furrow as deep as its radius before it swerved back towards its master.

Once more he tried to contain the power of the disk, to reach out to it and calm the embodiment of magic, though again it was to no avail. If anything the artifact simply arched in towards his hiding spot with more fury.

Thinking as fast as his sickened and confused mind could the man leaped out from his impromptu hiding place, scrambling with uneven steps towards one of the thick support beams of the home. Wood cracked and splintered as the disk tore through the table, the air filling with shards of glass and burnt plant matter as his experiment was scattered. A few fragments found his face, biting into him as they flew past or burrowed into his skin.

Attempts to quell the device failed consistently, each tremor of magic that he afforded himself simply seemed to cause his implement to target him. Perhaps if he gave it something larger and harder to chew on it would stop? At the very least it would buy him more time to think.

Some vile siphoning effect had nearly depleted him entirely only moments before, but he still had enough power for one last trick. One pale hand reached out, slapping the support beam as he scurried past and sending an infusion of mana surging from his body into the wood. The iron bracings at its foot and head sparked in response, and as he had hoped the disk once more came buzzing his way. Instead of targeting his own form though it focused on the new and large source of magic energy, twirling in flight a single time before it slammed into the beam.

Metal screeched and oakwood groaned as the disk burrowed in, the whole beam shuddering for a few moments before it consumed the momentum of the disk and locked the circle within its confines.

The smell of wood smoke filled his nostrils as the Castanic slumped against the beam, his eyes slipping closed in the blessed silence that followed. Close, far too close. For a brief moment he entertained the idea of attempting to retrieve the disk now that it appeared to have calmed, but shoved the notion aside.

His reverie was cut short as noise rose again, this time beyond the front door. A woman's voice rang out alongside a cacophony of steel against stone, "Tarin!"

"...Islidi?"

xxxxxxx

Islidi was barely aware of the racket that the krymetal training sword made as she dragged it along behind her dashing form. Terrified cries and confused calls from the rest of the townsfolk reached her ears, though she was deaf to their pleas for now. As soon as she had found her voice she was calling for the mage, ready to either blame or consult him for what had just happened.

The door flew open before she had even arrived, the Castanic mans gaunt features coming into view framed by the darkness of the residence he had taken. Thin lines of red dotted his features, a few trickling fresh blood.

"Tarin! Did you do this?!" She jabbed a finger at the sky, feeling her own features flush hotly. To say that what had befallen the Eye was an indignity would not do the situation justice. This was a violation of the natural order, of the very essence of the Dream itself, and if the Castanic had somehow tainted Balder's gift then he would feel the same wrath as if Tarin had committed that crime against her own body.

Confusion and anger tightened his face, color darkening the sheet-like visage for a moment, "Excuse me? Miss, you may wish to rephrase, I have done nothing that would..." the last few words trailed off as his eyes turned skyward, finally noting the affliction to the Eye.

"Yes, you just happen to be handling Noctenium at the exact moment that-"

"Shush."

"What did you just say to me?" The woman advanced a pace as the Castanic man turned his gaze back into the house for a moment. His eyes snapped forward once more, looking past her towards the south as the stench of flame hit her nostrils, "...and is something burning in there?!"

"Run."

"What?"

"No, running won't do, hide."

"What are you talking about-"

"Cover, hide, quick!" Tarin snapped a hand out, clutching her by the collar and dragging her inside.

It was that moment that she felt it, a sparking tingle in her fingertips and a vague tremor through her feet from the ground. With those sensations came a dead weight in her chest, a sudden pressure that left her cold and gasping for breath as what little remained of her innate mana suddenly clenched at her essence.

Something was wrong, very, very wrong.

She knew in the deepest corners of her being that danger was about to befall them but did not know what shape it would take. Tarin felt the effects as well, or at least she could assume he did. The strength of his hold vanished in an instant, the man falling to a knee as his free arm stretched forward. She followed the line of his fingers, noting immediately the cellar door below the stairwell that was only a few meters away.

Good enough for her.

A roar spilled past Islidi's lips as she yanked the Castanic up by the scruff of his neck, barreling them both forward until they collapsed within reach of the cellar. With a final surge of adrenaline fueled strength she yanked the wooden hatch open, shoving Tarin down into the hole before she rolled in behind him. Gravity was left to handle the matter of closing the hatch, a task it performed faithfully and promptly. Two pained oof's and one faint clunk later the pair were plunged into the dank black of the cellar.

She landed half on him, rolling away due to the momentum of her drop before coming to rest sprawled out on her back. In the dark she glanced over, barely making out Tarin's form as he flopped onto his side and clutched hands about his ears. Without needing further reason as to why she followed suit.

The sound that came to them was primal, gargantuan, an explosion like a thread of the Dream itself had been snapped in two. At first there was a mighty clap, one that shattered the very air enough that Islidi's body arched once more in pain, her mouth opening in a scream of agony that would go unheard. The din became a thundering rumble a moment later, her form beginning to bounce on the cold stone of the cellar as the lands shook under the force of whatever catastrophe had created the noise. Though the beams of the house above rattled the sturdy old building did not come down, the two suffering only through the uneasy groans of the wood during the short quake.

As quickly as it had started it was over, utter silence following in the wake of the blast and quake. The woman uncurled her limbs, ears ringing as she turned her eyes upwards. A few cracks had appeared between the boards of the floor above them, faint light flickering through to illuminate the tiny speckles of dust forming a haze in the air. Without even comprehending what she was doing, Islidi was helping Tarin to his feet and shakily climbed up the ladder and back into the house proper.

Once up the woman paused, her breathing heavy as the ringing in her ears slowly subsided. Her eyes took in the wreckage of the small home, the tables overturned and the small fire beginning on the floor from a dropped candle. Still with only a vague idea of the reason behind her own actions Islidi raised a booted foot, bringing the leather down hard on the small fire and snuffing both her and the Castanic back into darkness.

A few moments passed before she realized he was speaking to her, "-need to go. West, no, east then south, have to see, have to make sure..."

"W-why south?" A few steps took her to the lopsided doorframe, one hand resting on the splintered wood as she looked out over the remainder of Tria. Other heads poked their way up from where they had sought their own cover, the sounds of a woman weeping and the screeches of a frightened baby rising into the air.

"It came from there, from Allemantheia. I...don't know whats happened, but it affected my magic, and now the city...we need to make sure."

Islidi let her eyes wander the wreckage, watching as the town guard started to disperse. Uniforms of emerald scattered to aid the survivors, Union soldiers performing their oath promised duty. A duty she had been denied. Once more the blond visage flitted through her mind, sneered words of disdain filtering into her consciousness. They didn't need her, didn't want her help, they could handle this themselves. Her lot would be thrown with whatever course she saw fit, and for now that path lay with the one of discovering what had happened.

"South it is."


	2. Reference

_If you are familiar with Tera lore then this 'chapter' can be skipped entirely. This page is simply meant as a quick reference that can be kept open in a secondary window._

_As more chapters are published this page will be kept up to date. Items will appear in roughly the order they are mentioned within the text._

**Cities**:

-Kaiator: AKA The Fortress of the North. Home city of the Amani, Kaiator is a mighty domed castle that houses innumerable forges and refineries. Kaiator acted as the primary manufacturer of arms and armor during the Argon war as well as the strongest line of defense. The outskirts of Kaiator are an imposing tundra.

-Zulfikar: A smaller secondary outpost that lies north of Kaiator, Zulfikar acted as the supply point for the front lines during the Argon war.

-Tria: A small village in mid Essenia that sits right on the edge of a woodlands area named the Blightlands. Tria and its settlers were hit very hard by plagues that ravaged the region near the end of the Argonwar.

-Allemantheia: AKA The Desert Jewel. Home city of the Elves, Allemantheia is a place of wonders in both magic and technology. Gleamings spires, elevated streets, and high, imposing walls characterize this city as it stands out in stark contrast to the deserts that surround it.

-Velika: AKA The City of Wheels. Home city of the Humans and a central hub of all of Arborea. Velika is a melting pot of cultures and carries a Victorian charm in its humble but pleasing architecture. Velika is surrounded by lush plains and farmlands.

**Regions**:

-Arborea: The entirety of the known world, composed of the two major continents Shara and Arun.

-Shara and Arun: The landmass of Tera is actually housed atop the sleeping bodies of two enormous titans by these names, their dreams giving shape and existence to everything around them. The western continent is dubbed Shara and is split into distinct northern and southern regions. Arun is the same to the east, though because only the southern half of it has been charted by civilization the southern region is generalized to being called Arun.

-Essenia: The heavily forested region that lies north of Allemantheia's desert. Though Argons never actually reached this front it is still heavily marked from that war, other foes having inflicted plagues and pillaging on the region.

-Timeless Woods: A subset of the forests within Essenia, it is somewhat tamer than most of its surroundings.

**Races**:

-Argons: A machine species that emerged out of the ground in Northern Shara. Upon their arrival they immediately started to terraform the surrounding landscape and assimilate species in their path, leading to a decades long war to halt their advance. The war ended only with the death of their Queen.

-Amani: A race of tall, powerful dragon-like creatures who call the frozen lands of Northern Shara their home. Their capital city is Kaiator. Their patron deity if Kaia.

-Humans: A formerly nomadic people that eventually were taken in by the goddess Velik and founded a city in her honor, Velika.

-Elins: Childlike female humanoids who are fragments of the goddess Elinu's essence given form and purpose. Their home city is Pora Elinu.

-Castanics: A species of part-demons related to the Devas. They joined in alliance with the rest of the 'civilized' world and call the city Castanica their home. Though some pay their respects to Kaia the Castanics as a species have no parent god.

-Elves: Both elegant and war-like, Elves call the grand city of Allemantheia their home. The Elves were responsible for many wars fought in Arborea in the past, though they joined with the other species in order to repel the Argons. Like the Castanics the Elves have no god that they call their own.

-Devas: Deva is a general term for any of the demon-like humanoids that wander much of Arborea. While Castanics are technically a clan of Devas, that specific subset chose to live in productive seclusion rather than as bandits. Most Devas are considered dangerous outlaws that live on the fringes of society.

**Factions**:

-The Iron Order: Based out of Kaiator, the Order seeks to use Noctenium to enhance their combat hardiness.

-The Enlightened Union: Based out of Allemantheia, the Union utilizes Noctenium as a means of gaining social weight.

-The Free Traders: Based out of Velika, the Traders use Noctenium to gain vast wealth.

-Mysterium: An Allemantheia based group of scholarly mages.

-Collegium: A Velika based group of scholarly mages.

**Misc**:

-Noctenium: When the Argon Queen was defeated her death sent ripples of energy through the Dream. Shortly after tiny pockets of strange matter started to emerge, which were soon dubbed Noctenium. Noctenium's exact applications or manner of behavior is impossible to fully describe as it seems to do everything and anything when placed under the right conditions. A perfect example of "Green Rocks" for you TV Tropes people out there.

-"The Dream": A term for the universe as a whole, all that is known to exist is a result of the Dream that the titans Arun and Shara are sharing.

-Balder: A god known for his love of all within the Dream and favor for peace. When darkness came to the world by the actions of another god he tore out his own eye and put it into the sky as a source of light. Hence, the sun is often rightly referred to as Balder's Eye.

-Disks: Spellcasters in Tera require implements to channel their magic to its full potential. While most healers prefer staffs or sceptars combat oriented casters will often favor the disk. A disk is typically composed of rings of rare metals roughly a foot in diameter at their largest that the mage can manipulate with minimal effort, allowing a mobile focus point for their power. Forcibly taking a disk (or any magic implement) from a mage is often compared to ripping off one of their limbs.


	3. Chapter 2

_Thank you everyone for your patience with my submission of later chapters! While the basic arc and specific events for the story are planned out I am still a full time college student in a challenging major. I will aim to submit at least one entry every two weeks. _

_Without further ado..._

xxxxxxx

"I must still wonder as to why you thought this was all my fault." Tarin's voice rose quietly above the rhythmic crunch of their steps. A road of cobblestone and gravel snaked out before them, offering the pair a trail that was easy to follow even in the unnatural dark.

Their first day beyond Tria had been spent in near silence. Leaving the village within an hour of the Event Islidi and Tarin had gathered what supplies they could reasonably carry before setting off. A short journey eastwards took them into the Timeless Woods, one of the few regions within Essenia spared from blight and war.

"There wasn't a soul in the village that didn't know you spent your afternoons experimenting with Noctenium," Islidi countered promptly as she twisted mid stride to walk sideways, gaze resting heavily on him, "Tell me what I was supposed to believe when the Eye closed at that precise time of day."

Retrieving Tarin's disk had at first been their only other reason to linger within the city. The mage absolutely refused to leave the village without it despite Islidi's insistence that they take to the road as soon as possible. Ten minutes of shouting produced no result, Tarin defending the necessity of the item as if it were his own hand. When Islidi realized that more time would be saved by simply consenting then she agreed to help him remove it from the beam, but not without precautions. Though the disk had lain quiet in its wooden bed the woman secured it with thick canvas and chains the moment it was plucked free.

"Oh please, I am hardly capable of incurring changes to the Dream so dramatic," he waved a hand dismissively in her direction, not meeting her eyes.

A single night spent in the uneasy cold of the deepened Arborean night ended as Balder's Eye rose once more, its visage still lidded. Wrapping a few extra blankets about themselves to ward off the lingering chill the two companions set off once more, intent on letting rigor of travel warm them.

"Still, Noctenium," Islidi let him simmer under her attention before turning forward once more, scanning the woodlands about them.

An hour ago they caught the first clue as to the nature of their journey in the form of a mountain sized smoke cloud billowing up out of the south. The only reason that they had not noted it sooner was the blasted daytime dark, its shape only stood out in their eyes once Balder's Eye passed behind it.

"Does the material hold some mythic property to you?"

While the gloom of the day did little to inform them of the time the path of the Eye went on unhindered. As of now it peeked from around the smoke cloud to hang directly over their heads.

"It doesn't to you? The moment Noctenium hits the market it is being used to do everything from cure long-standing diseases to making invisibility potions, which is nothing to say of that...realm the Mysterium discovered," Islidi's form shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.

This conversation marked the first time Tarin had attempted to communicate with her. While she had done as much as possible to keep the man's spirits up any mention at all of Allemantheia would send him into a somber silence. Eventually she had given up peppering him with topics, a fact that seemed to improve his disposition enough to attempt a topic of his own.

"It has diverse applications, but its power is limited," a brief lull in his words was filled by the sound of a clattering stone as he kicked a rock from his path, "in theory."

"Very comforting, but," time to try once more, it seemed, "You...don't think Noctenium is responsible for what happened?" A finger indicated the dark midday sky.

"No," was all the more she got out of Tarin before he lapsed into silence once more.

xxxxxxx

Wind howled and ice lanced through the air about the frozen plains of Kaiator, nature mourning and crying out against the indescribable crime that had been inflicted upon it. From the first moment of the Eye's closing until now a storm had raged over the domed city, forcing all but the hardy or desperate to take shelter.

A human woman, eyes vacant and blood splattered all over her face, neck, and chest.

Two Castanics, each supporting the other as they bent before the winds.

Another human, this one male, herding two frightened children before him as he sent worried looks over his shoulder.

A towering Aman figured watched each of them struggle past, his muscular arms ushering each across the steel bridge that would take them to Kaiator's waiting northeastern gate. The lidded Eye hanging above them was the only explanation that needed to be offered, the soldier did not deny a single soul that sought refuge within the Fortress of the North.

"Khasir! Report!" A female Aman called out to him from closer to the city, her voice wavering as it cut through the wind.

He spared a moment to look further up the road, eyes taking in the fact that he already suspected. A long line of dark shapes trudged slowly forward, fighting the storm with all the strength that their tiny, soft hided forms could muster as they sought safety and warmth within Kaiator's walls, "Visibility is poor, but I can still see hundreds coming from the directions of Habere and Kanstria. No signs of a threat."

"Mnaris will relieve you of your post soon, for now carry on!"

Khasir hardly needed to be told, his attention returning to scanning the barely visible horizons. They had been spared from raiders for now, the roads were still safe enough that unguarded civilians could find their way. Once within the city they would be safe, Kaiator had born the brunt of the entire Argon invasion for three decades with only a single breach to its walls. No danger would befall anyone who found themselves under the protection of the dome.

All of this was well and good, but there were only so many cots within the fortress-city, only so much soup it could produce. They would fill up soon, then what? Seal the gates? Condemn the rest to freeze to death outside? Force them to return to devastated villages to await the inevitable banditry that would sweep the land? In the Aman's mind he could already hear it, the gate sealing shut with a condemning clang as thousands still outside cried out in despair.

A figure out of place caught his attention. A hand drew towards the shaft of the greataxe at his back as Khasir moved a few paces along the bridge, his massive brow furrowing as he squinted through the storm. Yes, a single figure trudged straight through the snow moving in the general direction of Kaiator. Their steps took them nowhere near the road and if they weren't diverted soon they would walk straight into the magma filled chasm that surrounded the city. They were small as well, either an Elin or a child he could not tell at this distance. Neither of those things would survive this sort of cold for long.

Render aid or let them die. Khasir left his post, rushing out to meet the tiny figure and get them into line with the rest of the refugees.

xxxxxxx

Evening descended on the second day when Islidi and Tarin finally arrived. The smoke thickened and drew about them as the two crossed from the lush of the Timeless Woods into the deserts that surrounded Allemantheia. Cobblestone gave way to sandstone under foot, but plenty of course grain covered the path as well as if it had been kicked up in a recent storm. What would have been a journey into a sandy furnace was more akin to a cool evening at the beach, though the putrid cloud somewhat diminished that association. Coughing and sputtering the whole way the two pushed onwards, their steps eventually beginning to make a steady ascent as they approached Allemantheia itself.

Soon though their feet found purchase on something harder than sand.

A startled yelp flew from Islidi's lips as she abruptly stumbled forward, righting herself immediately after a single pace. Whirling on the spot a hand flew to the hilt of her blade, ready to face-

A rock. No, more than a rock, a chunk of carved stone jutted out of the sand, nearly invisible with the thickness of the smoke.

Tarin bent beside it, a single digit reaching out to confirm with a light brush what his eyes already suspected. Smooth, meticulously crafted stone with a steady slant to its features, one that would have been suited for high, graceful architecture, "It's a piece of Allemantheia's primary wall."

"I didn't believe we were close enough to... that cannot just be rubble, can it?" Islidi's voice cut off as she went into a coughing fit, her hands working to draw a strip of cloth to her face in an attempt to ward off the smoke that choked her.

"Let's see for ourselves, conjecture without observation is excellent for crafting false theories," Tarin fell to a cough of his own before he followed suit with her idea, masking himself to ease breathing.

Once finished the Castanic brushed past her, Islidi lingering to stare at the wall fragment before she turned to follow. She doubted she needed to see the city to know what had happened, to understand the full magnitude of the blast or its origin. Her mind denied what should have been immediately clear to her from the first moment they had seen the smoke. The city had been destroyed, and yet even with the evidence that lay behind them she found she needed more.

Tarin was right.

South. Have to see. Have to make sure.

Another hour they trudged on, heedless of the near pitch black that had descended on them in the smoke bank and the late growing hour. Visibility was so poor that Islidi could not even make out her own feet, the sand crunching underneath her the only clue to the fact that she was still in a desert. Soon a faint wind carried a new scent into Islidi's nostrils that her shroud did nothing to block, the all too familiar stench of burning flesh.

The darkness about her swirled in a shapeless dance, memories moving to fill the blank void as the smell threw her mind into the past. The baking heat of Frontera, sweat drenching her form in a layer of greasy filth, the wet thumps of bodybags piling onto one another, the broil of tainted flames, each one took form on that canvas of smoke. Back in those days of darkness there was only one manner of dealing with the plague, only one reliable cure.

_These bodies must be burned, along with everything the victim touched. No exceptions._

In her contemplation the woman did not notice as her steps transitioned from sand to metal, but a few heartbeats later Talin's sharp gasp and the abrupt forward tilt of his form was enough to snap her to awareness. Reflex kicked in before conscious thought had even registered danger. Islidi's hand moved with warrior's precision, snagging Tarin by the baggy robes of his back and halting his fall. Her foot lunged forward and planted for balance, sliding along the metallic ground for a few inches before both of their forms came to a halt.

Tarin frantically waved his arms for a moment as his voice howled in fear, the sound echoing back eerily after a pause. It was only then that Islidi realized where her foot had come to rest, the toe of her boot standing partially out over the edge of a destroyed bridge they had unknowingly started to cross. Tarin's own feet were just beside hers, though his body hung entirely out over the edge with only her arm to keep him from falling.

"Tarin!" Islidi growled, her form straining to pull their center of balance back and secure them on what remained of the bridge, "Stop struggling you fool!"

Compliance followed a split second later, Tarin's body going rigid at her barked command. Without the variable of his struggling to stop her Islidi hauled them both back, the two stumbling a few paces before she let go. Once more without support Tarin fell to land flat on his face, though this time instead of empty air his form collided with the hard steel of the bridge.

In stark contrast the human's feet deftly found their balance again, "I think we're here," she remarked with muted sarcasm, the hand that had saved Tarin settling on her hip as she looked down at him.

"Noted," the man shakily adjusted a few locks of his pale hair after he had gotten his limbs under him, "and...thank you."

"Of course," creeping tentatively forward Islidi drew near the edge, glancing down into the yawning darkness below them, ""We could try to circle around to one of the other bridges, but something tells me they'll be in no better state. Regardless, we should wait until morning when visibility is better."

"I would prefer not to linger here," Tarin winced before he turned, drawing his disk and its restraining chains out from his pack, "We're surely close enough now."

"No," Islidi interjected immediately, reaching to halt the progress of his hands in freeing the circle, "You were there when it went off and I saw the damage myself, if it does that here it will kill us both!"

"It has calmed since then, I can feel that much," he shrugged her off, resuming his task, "A single display of magic will tell us all we need to know, at which point we can leave this infernal place."

Islidi stepped back, a hand seeking the hilt of her sword as the disk stirred to life, lifting out of the canvas to hover tamely before Tarin. Her own reserves of magic energy had barely recovered since the Event, only a few traces of power trickling in whereas usually she would have found herself fully restored and ready to act. Tarin must have had the same struggle, she could see the effort on his face as he fought to summon the power necessary for a spell.

The circle sparked as it whirred to life, its form twirling on the spot as the mage kindled his magic. Her skin tingled as a wash of invisible mana rushed from the disk, but she noted no immediate change. Nearly a minute later Islidi sensed a change in the wind, a faint gust that grew in intensity until a backdraft was flying past them across the shattered bridge.

The dank air about them lifted, growing more clear, thinning.

Her eyes met Allemantheia.

At first it was simply a red haze that filtered through the black, a wide expanse of angry glow like that of steel fresh out of the furnace. The wind blew harder, further scattering the cloud as more of the city came into view. Jutting spires started to stand out among the discolored red smoke, the high elegant towers of Allemantheia lying at odd and fractured angles, each of them pointing away from the center of the city and many smoldering with visible heat. Elevated platforms that had once acted as the streets and thoroughfares were now scattered about like a child's playthings and the outer wall was little more than a flattened bowl brimming with molten slag.

Where once the Desert Jewel gleamed there was now only a crucible.

Tarin cut off his magic, features hard as dark descended over the view again. The smoke curled about their vision, masking away first the remaining structures of the city before the molten light vanished as well.

"...Thank you Islidi, that is all I needed to see."

""What now Tarin?" Islidi bowed her head towards the veiled city as she spoke, her eyes slowly sealing shut. There had never been much love between her and Allemantheia, but too many innocents would have been lost for her not to offer some token of respect.

"I have friends in Velika," he answered at length, "They will help us make sense of this. Let us go and discover the fate of the City of Wheels."


	4. Chapter 3

_Apologies for the delay, but I think I am going to have to take back what I said about a two week update schedule. That simply isn't possible with my coursework if I wish to maintain any degree of quality with what is posted. Updates from here will be posted as they are finished, no sooner._

xxxxxxx

A rubble scattered road took Islidi and Tarin east then south again, the two passing the skeleton of a fallen Pegasus Gate before they crossed into the damp shade of blighted woodlands. The maps marked the realm as Val Paladra, a place of once thriving farmlands situated in valleys walled by blistering jungle. At its heart was the city Frontera, the only settlement in the region that had survived the plagues that scorched both it and its sibling forest of Essenia. Those who remained would not soon forget how narrowly they had avoided their fate, less than a days journey to their north lay the moldering ruins of what had once been the homes of thousands and the center of trade for the region. Now only beasts and Devas lurked in its fallen walls.

Those creatures recognized a world in peril not as disaster but opportunity. The soldier woman knew they lay in wait along the roads and abandoned farms, ready to descend on any refugees or travelers who wandered too close. At Islidi's instruction the two kept to the jungles that rimmed the settled land, and though their progress was slow the thick foliage was enough to conceal them until they reached Frontera's gates.

Darkness reigned about them when finally the shape of the wall appeared, a voice rumbling out in challenge moments later, "Hold, travelers. State your intentions!" from the top of the wall Islidi noted a flicker of movement as a head shifted, rising slightly over the wooden ramparts.

"We've journeyed from Tria through the Outskirts hoping to find some use of the harbors here. Do ships still set sail from your docks?" Islidi called back, the hard journey forcing her to halt halfway through for a caught breath. Exhaustion gnawed at her limbs and the dank air felt thin in her lungs, even in that resting stance the jungle ate at her strength. Furthermore they had lost track of the Eye hours ago due to the thickness of the canopy, though Islidi could have guessed that evening was close on them. She did not savor the idea of spending another night in the wilds.

Tarin had a better chance of falling asleep at his post than detecting a giant lumbering past.

The shoulders and head of a human man burst into focus as a lantern in his hand sparked then flared to life. There was a metallic screech as a lid over its face snapped shut, what had once been scattered rays forming into a single solid beam out of a hole in its front. Said beam swung around to the pair on the road, lingering longer on Tarin by a good three heartbeats than it did on Islidi.

She did not have to ponder long to guess as to why, "We know Devas have likely come knocking on your gates, but he is no threat to anyone. You have my promise!"

"Only enter if you are willing to stake your life on such a claim," the man countered, tone direct and unrelenting in the manner of one prepared to go through with a threat, "As for boats, yes we have a few, though only for those who can provide compensation for their passage."

"I am, and we can," Islidi replied promptly, squaring her shoulders.

He studied them for a moment more before his off hand gestured towards something unseen. A heartbeat of pause followed before the wooden door creaking open just wide enough for a pack laden body to squeeze through. Islidi didn't waste a moment, one hand giving Tarin a hard shove forward as her eyes turned over each shoulder in turn. She didn't enjoy lingering in the spotlight of the lantern, and the conversation had been loud enough to attract the attention of any lurking in wait nearby.

The sorcerer slid in, his face twisting almost comically as he grunted his way through the gate. Islidi let a heartbeat pass before she followed, taking care to make her entry practiced and smooth.

They crossed from darkness into blinding light in the span of a breath. Islidi's eyes narrowed to slits, a hand rising to block the worst of the glare before the blur resolved into torchlight and the figures of several wary guards arrayed about the pair. Many a hand warmed the hilt or shaft of a favored blade, but to her relief Islidi noted that none were yet drawn.

In a fleeting moment her attention wandered outwards past the guards towards the rest of the city. They had lingered only briefly in Tria following the Event, she had not been there long enough to see more than the immediate aftermath. Here the widespread destruction that had followed Balder's sealing was more obvious. Where Allemantheia had been utterly destroyed here the structure of the town remained, though the marks of magic gone awry were obvious. Tarin's disk was not the only arcane device that had misbehaved, everywhere streetlamps once lit by magic remained only as singed poles sticking out of the ground. Mechanical air purification devices, massive steel monstrosities that resembled an oversized Popori carved out of krymetal, had apparently turned into small bombs where they once laid. Where her mind remembered each being there was now only a crater, the buildings all around them scarred by chunks of flying steel. Finally, at the center of town the immaculate fountain that had acted as a meager beacon of hope and normalcy for the residents lay in rubble, the ground about it still looking muddy.

"The Outskirts?" A single pair of footsteps thumped down a wooden staircase to Islidi's right, her gaze turning to take in the visage of the watcher as he descended from the wall to speak to them in person, "We take in many coming down the roads from Bastion, though none have ever told us tales of braving the Allemantheian desert. Tell us, what has become of the city? Are our fears true?"

"If you are speaking of the blast, yes," Tarin cut in immediately, his tone that of a stranger making comments about the weather, "Allemantheia is a melted ruin, I have little reason to believe anything but that it was the epicenter of the explosion."

Islidi drew a short hiss across her teeth as a hand snapped out, smacking Tarin across one cheek before he could even flinch to avoid the blow. "Fool," her eyes flicked between the man and the other guards present as soon as the uttered sentiment had passed her lips. Their reactions were mixed, some simply nodded at the truth they had already accepted, others flushed with rage, and one sank slowly to his knees, eyes brimming with tears.

How to salvage this, Islidi worked to craft the first apology that met her mind, "Apologies, my companion-"

"Don't bother girl, just keep going on your way. Best that we know the truth of it," the watcher waved a hand at her, cutting her off, "We don't have the beds to house you here, but if you leave now then you can reach the docks by true nightfall. We keep those roads clear enough, Devas have not yet managed to push past Frontera."

"Beds or not, I would prefer we were allowed to camp within your walls. We've traveled hard and would enjoy a full night of rest without one of us needing to stand watch," Islidi protested.

The watcher opened his mouth to reply, but another of the guards had their say first, "Understand when you are not wanted, devil, and move on," a woman snarled quietly, eyes riveted on Tarin.

Looking between she and the watcher, Islidi's silent need for affirmation was immediately answered.

"Draw what water you need and go."

xxxxxxx

Chaos had reigned within the Collegium Arcane.

The brightest minds of Arun and many from beyond gathered within the libraries of that esteemed society, for decades it had stood as a repository of knowledge for any who cared to better themselves. It was a final jewel to adorn the famed city of Velika.

Now its shelves were lined with the burnt carcasses of books, blood smeared its walls, and deep gouges of arcane wrath lined the floor and ceiling. The destruction had been allowed to sit, fester, none existed with the will to tend to its wounds, to erase the memory of those who had been lost. Rot and disease grew where the blood had soaked into surviving books, ash spilled to the floor and danced in the air with the breeze of each passing body, and an unwary step would send one tripping over furrows as deep as a hand.

At the center of the Collegium's primary complex five figures huddled around a candlelit table bearing a map of Velika.

"Two more boats from Southern Shara arrived today; more civilians, plenty wounded," the human female who spoke pointed out a spot at the southern end of Velika on the map before her, "High command is housing them in Huntress Plaza. I went among them myself, but none had any news of Allemantheia."

"More of the same? A great blast from the direction of the city?" A male elf inquired immediately.

"Yes."

"We cannot continue to assume that the Mysterium stands, surely they would have contacted us by now," a male human replied, his arms lifting from the table to cross before his chest.

"Always jumping to conclusions...have we made any significant effort to reach them beyond a few basic spells of sending? If there is interference of any sort then such simple methods would be blocked," an elven woman across from him immediately protested, her disk churning in anxiety in a quiet reflection of its wielder, "I must still insist that we send an envoy overseas, and once again I volunteer!"

"You are needed here, Akaria. I desire to know the fate of our kin as much as you, but our duty remains to this place," the elf man continued, gaze wandering to the first man who had spoken, "Tored, have you made any progress with penetrating Velik's sanctuary?"

His clean shaven head shook a single time, "Ciebel was not kind enough to share with me the methods of opening the way to her tower, and I dare not create shows of magic too grand. Sulmar has made that mistake once already..." The Event had taken many of their number within its first moments, disks attacking their owners, scepters melting, staves detonating, but the destruction had not ended there. Many more had been wounded or outright killed as they attempted acts of magic that should have been simple. It seemed the threads of the Dream that had been frayed during Balder's closing continued to sow destruction.

The elf allowed himself a single solemn nod, "Regardless, keep trying. The goddess has not shown herself to guide us and so we must assume that she is in some peril. Find a way in."

xxxxxxx

As foretold, Islidi and Tarin arrived at Frontera's dock as the last ember of Balder's veiled light vanished beyond the mountains at their back. The place they came upon was meager at best, not worthy of a name on the maps by its paltry size. Across Arborea the primary means of travel had always been Pegasi, docks and ships being only of use for fishing or the transport of large loads of cargo. As a result tiny piers such as the one they now stood at littered the shores of both continents but often went completely unnoticed by the world's population. Before them were two simple shacks, one to act as housing for the crew and the other a warehouse, before a simple and run down boardwalk led out to a medium sized sailing ship.

As the moment both shore and dock were at capacity, a crowd of refugees swarming over the sand and water as they all clamored for space on that vessel, their sole hope for passage away from the devastation reigning on Southern Shara.

"We're getting aboard that ship," Islidi growled under her breath, "I'm not going to linger here to wait for another, this is our boat."

"I-I feel urgency about this journey, yes, but are you quite sure we need to go to lengths to get _this _one?" Tarin emphasized his words with a jutted finger and tilt of the head.

"Look around you. If we wait in line like good little refugees then we will be here for a week," she spat, dark eyes scanning the assembled crowd, "We don't have the food to linger so long, and a gathering such as this will not go unnoticed. Guards at their walls will not keep this road clear for long, Devas will turn this into a slaughtering field soon enough. I do not relish the idea of trying to fend them off alongside a bunch of farmers, smiths, and merchants."

"Islidi stop and think! If they had more room on the vessel they would be allowing some of these number aboard, what makes you think we can get on?" The Castanic quietly inquired.

"Because we will find a way to convince them, now stay close behind me," not wishing to draw the conversation out another moment longer Islidi turned to put the man at her back and the ship ahead.

Halting further words of protest, Tarin shook his head before settling a hand on her pack. His touch was not meant to restrain, but rather to hold on for whatever plan the human was about to put in motion.

Islidi squared her shoulders, set her jaw, and drew both arms up before her. Sucking in a single breath, she let out a feral growl before launching herself into the crowd.

The sea of bodies pushed back, but her entry into their ranks would not be denied. Men and women parted before her, Islidi forcing them aside just long enough for her and Tarin to advance a pace before the crowd fell in again behind them.

Progress was slow at best. The suffocatingly damp air would have been bad enough were it not for the ear splitting roar of the frantic crowd. The forced march and restless nights to bring Islidi and Tarin here had sapped her of her strength, muddied her mind, but she could not relent now. She just had to get them on that ship, just had to get them away from the lands soon to be overrun. Tarin and his 'friends' could handle the rest.

Just a bit further.

Islidi ignored the panicked cries and faint splashes of those unlucky enough to have been at the edges of the dock as the crowed expanded slightly with her passage, forcing them over. They were not her concern, the only one for whom she cared was at her back, her ticket to some semblance of understanding about all this.

They broke through.

Stumbling forward Islidi caught herself as they buffeted past the last few refugees on the dock, all forward resistance vanishing. Two clumsy gyrations of her arms and she managed to right herself, head raising in time to see the chipped blade of a battleaxe snap to a halt inches from her face. Wielding it was a young man, barely more than a lad, his skin tanned from years under the ocean sun and ragged robes holding about his person. To either of his sides similarly armed sailors kept the crowd at bay, menacing them with drawn weapons to prevent any from scurrying up the boardwalk to the overfilled ship just beyond.

On that same boardwalk a figure started to descend, his voice ringing out as his attention settled on the human and Castanic pair, "What the hell do you-"

"I'm here to bargain for passage on your ship," Islidi stated immediately, drawing herself upright and locking her shoulders square once more. A quick look took in his visage; rough and tanned from years of salt spray and sun, strong muscles rippling under a modest tunic, and a gait that suggested leadership. Not the captain, no, but someone who could be negotiated with.

Shock gave way immediately to mirth on the man's features, "Are you now?" An arm gestured beyond her towards the crowds she had just parted, "And what, might I ask, sets you apart from all those else you so rudely passed in order to get here?"

"Quite simply, I have this," her head flicked back, indicating the greatsword hilt over her right shoulder, "And I know how to use it. You know better than any that the seas between Arun and Shara are about to become a battleground. The Devas and pirates know fresh meat when they smell it, it's been what, five days since the Eye sealed? They will be patrolling the seas, hunting for refugee vessels like this one. You need every able bodied fighter you can get your hands on, and I offer both my services and my gold in exchange for passage for myself and my companion."

"Hmm," the man looked her once over again, his mirth creeping slowly into something colder, "Able. Bodied. Fighters...yes...you certainly look one, that I will admit. Bearing like that...Federation trained I take it?" A single one of his digits rose, "But hold on, where is your uniform? I see not the crimson of the Traders, the emerald of the Union, or the blue of the Order on your person."

The hard line of Islidi's jaw grew tighter, skin beginning to flush.

"You hold yourself quite proudly for a causeless sellsword. Either you truly don't believe in anything but your own survival, which you just demonstrated by heedlessly bowling over all of those helpless man, women, and children back there, or," the finger leveled, now pointing accusingly at her, "Perhaps, by the shade your skin just took, I would guess there is a more personal reason. Did they not have need of your 'talents'?"

"You know not of what you-" She started, fists clenching.

"Save it. Instead tell me this, lass. Why should I allow a Federation washout to have a role in guarding my ship?"

Fury rang in her ears, the crinkle of her leather gloves tightening lost to the roar of the crowd and the churning of ocean against shore. How dare he, some salt crusted fool speak to her that way? How dare he mock her so openly in front of so many? How dare he force her to answer such a question?

Islidi's eyes settled on the lad in front of her, axe still held menacingly. He wanted proof of her talent? He would have proof.

Islidi's right hand snapped to the hilt of her blade, tugging it free of her back even as she put her weight forward. The lad saw it happening, saw her body shift, but he wasn't fast enough to stop her before the blade was bared. On the first swing she battered the axe aside, opening up his whole right side to a follow up blow that could have ended the battle with a single thrust.

He was lucky she wasn't out for blood.

Instead the flat of her blade smacked across the man's right forearm where it was choked low on the handle of his axe, forcing him to release it. The axe head thudded into the soft wood of the pier, his trailing left hand clumsily trying to bring its bulk to bear on his assailant, but Islidi would not give him time to retaliate. A knee flew upwards, connecting with his groin to the sound of her savage shout and his cry of pain, the lad doubling over right into the path of her blade.

She had anticipated as much though and was prepared, the keen edge halting at his neck as one of her hands left the hilt to grip him by the back of the head.

A grin spread across Islidi's lips as a deathly silence fell over the scene. Other crewmen who had started to move to aid their fellow froze midstride, the docks full of onlookers hushing. The exchange had lasted not longer than a pair of rushed heartbeats, but the lad was now knelt before Islidi' a blade to his throat and her grip ensuring that one false move on his part would have been his last.

Islidi let her gaze fall on the man who had only just before mocked her before she released her captive, the blade swinging back to thud into the dampened wood of the dock. A single breath passed her lips, then, "You should let a Federation washout on because one is still better than any of your crew. Do you have another I should demonstrate upon?"

"What did you say your name was, girl?"

"Islidi Longshade," she breathed, her eyes not moving.

"Welcome aboard, miss Longshade."

xxxxxxx

Hundreds of feet drummed their way over steel, hundreds of voices cried out in combinations of terror and barked orders.

Still none of it could rise above the keening roars that thundered behind them.

Kharvos didn't look back. The Aman soldier rushed forward, pausing occasionally to lend aid to a fallen refugee or fellow officer but never turning his gaze back towards the gates of Kaiator. An avalanche of refugee and resident alike scurried from the southern maw of the Fortress of the North, putting the terror behind them.

Gods the sound, great slumbering Titans _the sound_. Kharvos had no words with which to describe the fury that laced those high screaming roars, he had no way to describe the terror that cut through him to the very bone.

The best way he could express it was by running.

Run he did.


End file.
